DOUBLE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC ACROSS

1 Payment for sending assignment matures with pack (7,5)

9 Gold ray’s beginning to be spoken of like the dawn (7) 10 Choke opening with rubbish inside (7) 11 Descendent of a boy is about 101 (5)

12 Keen to rent composition with a simple melody (9) 13 Bad name from abusing minors around me (8) 15 Spoils toilet training at the start (4)

18 Hold down last of night’s beer (4)

19 Raises one’s spirits to listen to past decades (8) 23 Nitty-gritty writing, for example, accepted by stern college official (9)

24 Steals from the back seat (5)

26 Dregs containing sticky residue of pods (7)

27 Plain song drifting into fun pier (7)

28 For example, coffee bars and accountants (4,8)

DOWN

1 Standard is raised in religion (5)

2 Arson and rioting over actress (8)

3 Sparkling with silver-leaf layer (8)

4 Band scores below par with the birds (6)

5 Turkey portion with the most blood (6) 6 Encountered trouble on head user’s drug (9) 7 Healing cream with light woodworm finish (6)

8 Go away and live as a songbird (4,2)

14 Ganges, you represent a holy place (9)

16 Tortoise sits quietly in the ground (8)

17 Horse’s competition held in grassed section on the finish line

18 Early release for a redhead in the staff (6) 20 Report on stocks of wine retailer (6)

21 Astronauts revolving around a moon, initially totally together (2,1,3) 22 Labour forces painting (6)

25 Beasts standing in the way of progress (5)

QUICK ACROSS

1 Second sight (12)

9 Seat of government (7) 10 Fishing boat dragging a net (7)

11 Monotonous drumming sound (5)

12 Alligator’s relative (9) 13 Endless time (8)

15 Lose colour (4) 18 Enthralled (4)

19 Native of Beirut (8) 23 Set of steps (9)

24 Slow student (5) 26 Peeled (7)

27 Flow in drops (7) 28 House joined on one side to another (4-8)

DOWN

1 Gambol (5)

2 Element with the symbol Sb (8)

3 Move house (8)

4 Choice (6)

5 Female warrior (6) 6 Come to a head (9) 7 Blade for cutting grass (6) 8 Mourn (6)

14 Accentuate (9) 16 Alzheimer’s disease (8) 17 Lunchtime snack (8) 18 Fight against (6) 20 Cricket team (6) 21 Sultanate in northern Borneo (6)

22 Manage, control (6) 25 Nude (5)